Forecasters are predicting the "very fast moving' Cyclone Hola will begin have an impact on the top half of the North Island from tonight. As tropical cyclone Hola looms closer to New Zealand, the storm was causing havoc near New Caledonia, with gusts up to 185km/h and swells expected to exceed 7 metres. Hola has been downgraded from a category 3 to a category 2 cyclone, though Kiwis are being warned it could still bring an onslaught of wild weather. The storm was expected to hover to the east of Northland around midnight tonight, before tracking southeastwards on Monday. The tropical cyclone has battered Vanuatu with winds of up to 230km/h.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 10, 2018 21:22 UTC